Online social networking has become all the rage in recent years as a way to build brands and communities and to engage on pretty much any topic you can imagine, from dating to radio, enthusiast groups, religion, politics, customer forums, etc.
The corporate office setup has become more virtual as well, with more progressive companies recognizing that they can eliminate geographic barriers and hire wherever the talent resides simply by adding “strong ability to work effectively on remote teams” to their list of desired skill sets.
The remote workforce is a win-win endeavor. It saves the company in operational expense and ease recruiting challenges through access to a broader applicant pool, and it adds convenience, balance, and flexibility for the employee. Both enjoy the added productivity that comes with having upwards of 2 hours or more in commuting time each day re-allocated to work, networking, etc.
But what about the employees who thrive on in-person office structures? Are they out of luck? Not at all. Co-Working facilities, such as Cambridge Co-Working Center earn their profits by facilitating the collaboration and camaraderie that many relish from sharing ideas in-person. This concept is not new, but it has traditionally been limited to people working for the same employer. Co-working in 2012 brings together entrepreneurs, engineers, artists, etc from different industries and companies to inspire and motivate one another. Many employees choose to split their time between co-working locations and their home offices.
And of course, it didn’t take long for clever people to merge online social networks with in-person co-working. Meetup groups have been emerging in various cities, including New York, Boston, LA, and Chicago, which gather people together for co-working opportunities that they create themselves. So now, freelancers and other self-employed professionals are taking advantage of co-working.
The bottom line is that people are most productive, happy, and creative when they can work in the manner and style to which they can achieve the greatest success. Carry on.
Photo Credit: http://bit.ly/ORAwyR
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